MEET THE SMUSHKINS

An assortment of charming critters search for a house with all the right features.

The title says it all. Meet 10 animals and animal-like creatures known as the Smushkins, who are in need of a home. “So, what makes a good house for the Smushkins?” The residence must allow in lots of light, with big windows and ample walls for drawing upon. The outside of this ideal abode is just as important as its insides—the backyard must boast an apple tree. And the home must be near a scooter path, an ice cream vendor, a library full of books, and more. Relying on just a handful of words, Rueda deftly taps into the fun of coming up with one’s dream home with all one’s best friends. The Smushkins themselves (all identified by name at the start of the book, among them Ook, Iona, and Moe) are brightly colored, with various distinguishing characteristics. Puff, for example, resembles a mashup of a bunny and a pig with perpetually half-lidded eyes, while Tippi always wears a red hat and a striped tunic with a green worm in the front pocket. Everything ends with the Smushkins snuggled in a big bed together. After all, a good house for Smushkins “is a house full of Smushkins!”

Wishful thinking with friends galore and delicious ice cream? A win! Aspirational and friendly.